Locking mechanism for emergency exit-doors.



A. CARPENTER.

LOUKING MECHANISM FOR EMERGENCY EXIT DOORS.

APPLICATION FILED APILE, 1909.

926,545. Patented June 29, 1909.

lrcom b Cir ALEXANDER CARPENTER, OF FINDLAY, OHIO.

LOCKING MECHANISM FOR EMERGENCY EXIT-DOORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 5, 1909.

Patented June 29, 1909.

Serial No. 488,037.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER CARPEN- TER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Findlay, in the county of Hancock and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Locking Mechanism for Emergency Exit Doors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to doors of that type especially designed for use at the exits of anditoriums and the like, the object of the invention being to provide a door of this character having means whereby it can be unlocked by a person leaving the exit, simply by pressing against the door, this action serving to withdraw the bolts of the locking mechanism from their keepers, and at the same time serving to swing the door open.

A further object is to provide locking mechanism which can only be actuated from the outside by means of a proper key.

Another object is to provide a door having a movable panel constituting the greater portion of the inner surface of the door, it being possible to unlock the door by pressing against any portion of the panel.

Vith these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings :Figure 1 is an elevation of the door with the inner panel thereof removed and portions of the door body being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a section on line AB Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on line 0-D Fig. 1.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates the body of the door the same being preferably formed of sheet metal and hollow as shown, the inner face of the door being formed ofa short bottom panel 2 extending upwardly from the lower end of the body and immovably connected thereto, and an upper removable panel 3 extending dmvnwardly a short distance from the upper end of the body and detachably secured to posts 4 within the body by means of screws 5 or any other suitable devices. An actuating panel 6 is interposed between the panels 2 and 3 and has its upper and lower ends off-set inwardly as indicated at 7, so as to extend back of the adjoining edges of the panels 2 and 3 and thus prevent the panel 6 from pushing outwardly from the door body. The panel 6 extends throughout the width of the door and is held pressed against the panels 2 and 3 by means of a bow spring 8 one end of which is secured to one side of the door body 1, while the other end has an outstanding lug 9 and is slidably mounted upon the door body. The inter mediate portion of this spring contacts with the panel 6 at the center thereof, thusholding said panel firmly seated under normal conditions.

Brackets 10 are secured to the sides of the door body and each of them has a cushion 1 1 extending therefrom and toward the panel 6, these cushions serving to limit the inward movement of the panel 6.

Pivotally mounted within the door body are upper and lower bell crank levers 12 and 13 respectively, the lapping ends of the levers l2 and 13 being forked as shown at 14 and slidably engaging the stud 9 heretofore referred to.

Openings are formed in the top and bottom of the door body adjacent that end. thereof farthest removed from the hinges 15 and slidably mounted within these openings are bolts 16, the outer ends of which are beveled and designed, when the door is closed, to rest within recesses 17 formed in the top and bottom of the door opening. Guide brackets 18 are arranged. within the door body and serve to hold the bolts 16 against lateral movement, and both of the bolts are pivotally connected to the lovers 12 and 13 as indicated in Fig. 1. The lower bolt 16 has a head 19 in its upper end and arranged close to the key-hole 20 formed in the outer face of the door body, the bead being so shaped as to be engaged and elevated by a key inserted into the opening 20. A bracket 21 is preferably secured within the body 1 and across the forked arm of lever 13, this bracket serving to limit the movement of said lever.

A hook 22 is pivotally supported within the door body 1 from an eye attached to the top of said body, and this hook detachably engages an eye 2 loxtending inwardly from the upper portion of the panel 6.

As heretofore stated the projecting ends of the bolts 16 are beveled, so that when the door is closed said bolts will be forced into the door body but will subsequently be projected therobeyond and into the recesses 17, thus securely locking the door in closed polOO are

sition. The spring 8 serves to control the movement of these bolts and to hold them normally projected. l r hen it is desired to open the door from the outside it is necessary to insert a noper key into the key-hole 20, and by turning it into engagement with the head 19; the lower bolt 17 can be elevated and movement transmitted through the lever 13 to lever 12 and thence to the upper bolt 16 which will thus be at the same time withdrawn from the upper recess 17.

Should it be desired to open the door from the inside it is merely ecessary to push the panel 6 against the spring 8 The slidable end of said spring will thus be shifted in the direction of the arrow indicated in Fig. 1 and the lapping ends of the levers 12 and 18 will therefore be shifted as shown by dotted lines in said figure, thus simultaneously retracting the bolts 16 from the recesses 17 and therefore permitting the door to swing outwardly.

The cushions 11 of course limit the'inward movement of the panel 6 and the hook 22 not only movably supports the panel but permits it to be readily detached should it be desired to make any repairs, this hook being accessible by removing the upper panel As heretofore stated a door such as herein described is especially designed for use in the exits of theaters, schools and other structures where there is danger of crushes occurring at the exits as the result of panics.

bviously various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of the invention.

What is claimed is 1. A door comprising a hollow body hav ing an open face, a panel loosely supported within the body and constituting the closure for said open face, a spring for holding the panel normally in closed position, a bolt normally projecting b yond the body, and means actuated by the spring for shifting the bolt.

2. A door comprising a hollow body havan open face, a panel loosely mounted Within the door and constituting the closure for said face, a spring secured at one end to the body and loosely mounted at its other end upon said body, said spring being contacted at an intermediate point by the panel and constituting means for holding the panel normally in closed position, a bolt normally projecting beyond the body, and means actuated by the spring for shifting the bolt.

3. A door comprising a hollow body having an open face, a panel loosely mounted Within the body and constituting the closure for said face, a spring secured at one end to the body and slidably mounted at its other end upon said body, said spring hearing at an intermediate point against the panel to hold the panel normally in closed position, locking bolts, and separate means actuated by the movable end of the spring when the panel is shifted into the body to simultaneously shift the bolts.

4. A door comprising a hollow body having an open face, ahook suspended Within the body, a panel detachably connected to and supported by the hook and constituting the closure for said open face, a removable panel constituting a closure for the upper portion of the body, a bolt normally projecting beyond the body, spring secured within the body and contacting at an intermediate point with the movable panel to hold the same normally closed, and means actuated by the spring during the movement of said panel in one direction to shift the bolt.

5. A door comprisin a hollow body having an open face, a panel constituting a closure for said face, oscillating means for supporting the panel said panel being bodily shiftable into the door body, bow spring secured at one end to the body and bearing at an intermediate point against the panel to hold the panel normally in closed position, a bell crank lever having one arm movably engaging said spring, and a bolt connected to and actuated by said lever, one end of the bolt normally projecting beyond the door body.

6. A door comprising a hollow body hav ing an open face, a panel movably mounted within the body and constituting the closure for said face, oscillating means for supporting said panel within the body, a bolt slidably mounted within the body and having one end normally projecting therebeyond, there being a key-engaging head at the other end of the bolt, a spring secured at one end to the body and having an intermediate portion normally contacting with the panel to hold it in closed position, and means actuated by the spring for shifting the bolt during the movement of the panel in one direction.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDER CARPENTER. Witnesses:

MARION G. FOSTER, J. D. BURNETT. 

